Partitioning element for packages



7 Oct, 27, 1942.

M. s. STRA'SSER 2,299,861 PARTI'TIONING ELEMENT FOR PACK-AGES Filed Feb. 2 1,.194o

Myra fmsr' l Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,299,861 I ARTITIONING ELEMENT FOR manners Myron S. Strasser, Albany, N. Y. Application February 21, 1940, Serial No. 320,140

3"- Claims. (01. 217 ec) My invention particularly relates to a partitioning element of the type ordinarily formed of relatively strong cardboard, chip board, corrugated board and like material and which comprises a frame-like element formed of interconnected or interlocked strips of such material arranged with the ends of the strips extending exteriorly of the sides of the frame. The interior of such frame elements may, of course, be subdivided practically into any desired number and size of open-ended compartments by employing strip elements similar to those forming the sides of the frame. .Inframes of this character, the ends of the strip elements which project exteriorly from the frame serve, in the finished package, to space the frame and its contents from the side walls of the package or the container in which the partitioning element is disposed.

. As above pointed out, the exteriorly projecting ends of the strip elements serve as spacing members but since thestrip elements are formed of thin strip material which though offering considerable resistance to deformation under forces applied edgewise thereto does not offer any appreciable resistance to forces applied to the ends thereof and in a direction longitudinally of the strip, the projecting ends of the frame element, whenit is incorporated in a package, will bend or break transversely of the strips when subjected to an endwise blow or force of appreciable magnitude.

When collapse of the spacing elements occurs, as above pointed out, the merchandise packed within the frame will no longer be protected against shock and from objects which may, through carelessness, strike and penetrate the outer casing of the package. Furthermore, abrasion may occur between the articles within the package due to the fact that relative movement therebetween may occur and, for example, in the case of fragile articles, substantially no protection is afforded them since not only may they move about within the package but collapse of the entire frame may occur and they may then be subjected to shock and compressive forces which,

otherwise, would be absorbed by the frame element and the subdividing partitions therein when substantially rigid.

It is, therefore, the primary object of my invention to provide a frame element of the foregoing. character but in which the exteriorly extending ends of the strip elements thereof are reinforced to such an extent that bending or breaking of the ends of the strips and also deformation or collapse of the frame element itself is, for all practical purposes, prevented. Another object resides in providing aframe element of the foregoing character which is easily and inexpensively reinforced to a high degree but without appreciably increasing the partitioning element.

With these and other objects in View my invention includes the novel elements and the arrangements thereof described below and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which--- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a partitioning,

frame-like element embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of two of the strip elements illustrating the interlocking features thereof.

Fig. 3 one side of the frame-like element illustrating one of the reinforcing strips disengaged therefrom.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation View of a frame element illustrating a modification; and

Fig. 5 illustrates the partitioning element arranged within the outer casing of the package.

Frame elements of the character contemplated in this invention are preferably formed of interlocked strips above pointed out and are adapted to be arranged within an outer casing tospace the frame pro-per from the side Walls of the outer casing of the package and to prevent relative movement occurring between the frame and outer casing,

It will be understood that the strips of the partitioning element may project and form spacing elements from one or more sides of the frame and that, in accordance with my invention, a reinforcing element may be used on one or more sides thereof.

The partitioning frame-like element illustrated in Fig. 1 is formed of a plurality of strip elements which, preferably, are formed from chip board, corrugated board or the like. The strip elements forming the sides of the frame-like elementyindi cated at l, 2, 3, and 4, are interconnected and preferably interlocked by means of slots formed therein and in properly spaced zones as shown in Fig. 2. For example, strip l is providedwith a slot 5 extending transversely thereof and from one side edge to approximately the center thereof, Likewise, strip 4 is provided with a slot 6 which like slot 5 extends transversely of the strip and from one side edge approximately to the center thereof. Hence, when strip 4 is arranged above strip l and with the slots 5 and 6 in alignment,

they may be pressed together until the inner edges of the slots abut and the top and bottom weight of the.

is a fragmentary perspective view of of a suitable material such asthose of the strips embodied in the frame.

of strip l lies substantially in the planes of the top and bottom of strip 4, respectively.

When the strip elements I, 2, 3, and 4 are interlocked in the foregoing manner they form the sides of a frame-like element and the ends of the strips preferably project substantially equal distances from the sides of the frame to form spacing elements. The end portions 1 and 8 of strips 4 and 2, respectively, project beyond the side of the frame and, likewise, the ends 9 and ID of strip may project exteriorly of the frame. This construct on is preferably carried out at the remaining corners of the frame as indicated at I i and i2, and I3 and M, respectively.

The interior of the frame-like element may be subdivided into practically as many openended compartments as may be desired by employing strip elements such as indicated at l5 and I6 which may be loci-ted together in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 and also interlocked with the sides of the frame; in which case, the sides are suitably slotted in the proper zones to receive the subdividing strip elements. The subdividing strips such as strips !5 and it are preferably arranged with the ends thereof projecting exteriorly from the sides of the frame and to substantially the same extent as the ends of the strips forming the sides of the frame.

In accordance with my invention, the frame is reinforced and collapsing of the projecting ends of the strip elements is prevented by the provision of the strip elements indicated at ll, l8, l9 and which are adapted to lie adjacent the sides of the frame and to be connected to or interlocked with the To this end, the ends of the strips forming the sides of the frame and the ends of the strips forming partitions within the frame are preferably longitudinally slotted as illustrated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, I have illustrated, for exemplary purposes, only the portion of the frame comprising the interlocked strips I, 4, and I5 and the reinforcing strip II. The width of strip I1 and similar strips is preferably substantially equal to the length of the projecting end portions of the strips forming the frame element proper and the lengths of the reinforcing strips preferably approximate the length of the strip element forming the side of the frame adjacent which they are adapted to be arranged. In the zones wherein strip I 1 is adapted to engage and interlock with the projecting ends of the other strips, I prefer to provide slots such as slots 2i and 22 which extend from one edge thereof substantially to the center thereof. Likewise, the projecting ends of the strips such as end portion 9 of strip I and end portion 23 of strip I5 are longitudinally slotted as indicated at 24 and 25 respectively, the slots preferably extending from the ends of the strips substantially one half the distance therefrom to the side 4 of the frame. The foregoing construction, of course, is carried out in connection with all of the reinforcing strips and the projecting ends Hence, strip I! may be positioned with the slots therein in alignment with the slots in the end portions of the strips of the frame and pressed over said end portions until the inner edge thereof substantially engages the side 4 of the frame and the outer edge thereof lies substantially in the plane of the ends of the projecting strips. In this manner, reinforcing strips may be applied to all sides of the frame and in the zones of the projecting ends of the strips.

corners thereof the ends of the reinforcing strips may be readily sprung into overlapping relation with the ends of adjacent reinforcing strips as shown in Fig 1.

A frame element constructed in the foregoing manner, is extremely rigid and even when subjected to forces of comparatively high magnitude applied edgewise thereto, the frame will not collapse nor will the projecting end portions of the strips bend or break. Hence, when a frame element embodying my invention such as that indicated generally at 26 in Fig. 5 is disposed within an outer casing 27, the entire package will be highly reinforced and to an extent suflicient, for all practical purposes, to preserve the articles packaged therein and to keep them in their proper places Within the package.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a modification of my invention wherein a plurality of reinforcing strips are employed adjacent a side of the frame element. For example, I have shown two reinforcing strips 28 and 29 which lie adjacent a side 30 of a frame element 3! and interlock with the projecting ends of the strips 32, 33 and 34 of the frame. Reinforcing strips 35 and 36 may be interlocked with one of the projecting ends 31 of strip 30 and the ends of similar strips to reinforce an adjacent side of the frame while strips 38 and 39 may be employed and interlocked with the other projecting end 49 of strip 30 and the ends of similarly projecting strips to reinforce the other, adjacent side of the frame. Obviously, the reinforcing strips of this embodiment of my invention may be interlocked with the strips of the frame in the manner hereinbefore described; and, a plurality of reinforcing strips may be employed on one or more sides of the frame element.

While I have described my invention in its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the words which I have used are words of description rather than of limitation. Hence, changes within the purview of the appended claims may be made without departing from the true scope and spirit of my invention in its broader aspects.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, a plurality of strip elements of a material capable of offering substantial resistance to forces applied edgewise thereto but otherwise easily bendable, said strip elements being interconnected to form a polygonal frame-like member subdivided interiorly into a plurality of open-ended compartments and the ends of said strip elements projecting exteriorly from a side of said frame-like member, and a continuous strip element extending lengthwise of said side of the frame-like element and at an angle thereto with an edge thereof in substantially abutting relation to the said side of the frame member, said continuous strip element having a plurality of slots extending transversely thereof from a side edge and the exteriorly projecting portions of the strip elements forming the sides and partitions of said framelike member being arranged respectively Within said slots whereby the frame-like element along thedsaid side thereof is rendered substantially rlgi 2. In a device of the character described, a plurality of strip elements of a material capable of offering substantial resistance to forces applied edgewise thereto but otherwise easily bendable, said strip elements being interconnected to form the sides of a closed polygonal frame capable as such of being collapsed and substantially flat folded, the ends of said strip elements projecting exteriorly from the sides of said frame, and a continuous strip element extending lengthwise of each side of said frame and at an angle thereto with an edge thereof in substantially abutting relation to the side of the frame, said continuous strip elements having a plurality of slots extending transversely thereof from a side edge and the exteriorly projecting portions of the strip elements forming the sides of said frame being arranged 10 respectively within said slots whereby the frame is rendered substantially rigid.

3. In a device of the character described, a plurality of strip elements of a material capable of exteriorly projecting side elements of the frame and each continuous strip being disposed in laterally extending relation between and abutting the sides of the said projecting portions of the side offering substantial resistance to forces applied 15 elements on which it is so supported.

edgewise thereto but otherwise easily bendable,

MYRON S, STRASSER. 

